[HPforGrownups] Bad guys again

[manawydan]

No: HPFGUIDX 52447

Catlady:

>Because wizarding culture raises people to put a lot more value on
>power and getting what they want than on ethics ... "proper wizarding
>pride" and all that. It is not only Slytherins who are ambitious.

I wonder if the context in which that value exists is also important - the
fact that it's apparently a society that is politically frozen. Most wizards
(like most Muggles) aren't particularly interested in politics. Most of
those wizards who _are_ ambitious and interested in politics (like Percy
Weasley) go into the MoM, because that's where political power lies. The
only political institution that seems to outrank the MoM is a Wizarding
Congress, which would presumably constitute those wizards who were
interested enough in politics to attend. But most of the wizards who are
interested in politics are already working for the MoM, and therefore act as
a brake on any sort of change.

So where do you go if you are a wizard with political ambitions for change?
The only place seems to be into conspiracy.

>Well, for one thing, I don't think Lucius sees himself as being a
>follower of Voldemort the leader. I think he sees himself as being
>the charioteer of Voldemort the horse, and Voldemort's high level of
>magic power and magic knowledge are what make him useful.

I like that analogy. I can imagine Harry doing away with Voldemort once and
for all, only for Malfoy to thank him drily for dealing with someone "whose
instability obviously stemmed from his Mudblood origins..." and to take over
leadership of the bad guys.

Crunchy Chocolate Frog:

>Like Dumbledore says in CoS, when Harry asks him about the similarity
>between himself and Tom Riddle:  "It is our choices, Harry, that show
>what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

Though when I read Tom's history, my feelings about him were pity and
compassion, and an understanding of why he had the feelings that he did.

What he chose to do about it is a different matter, of course.

>his evil Muggle dad. He would, however, go about ranting about how
>Muggles and Mudbloods are infesting the world and how the WW isn't
>what it used to be, and how those wizards (or witches) that get
>involved with Muggles are really mixing with "riff-raff", or, if they
>are muggleborn themselves, then they *are* riff-raff, and how much
>better pure-blooded wizards are so much better than Muggles and
>Muggleborns.

He'd have to keep his tongue firmly in his cheek while he was saying that,
of course, given that he certainly couldn't have proved his own pureblood
ancestry!

>Someone like Lucius Malfoy, who is probably from a pure-blooded
>family (and if he had an accountant in the family, then
>that "embarassment" would probably be kept very hushed-up, or said
>cousin (or brother, whatever) would be killed or memory-charmed to

Wasn't it Molly who had the cousin who was an accountant?

Cheers

Ffred

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Cymru yn unfryd gerhyd Wrion
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